Envelope or container



Oct. 13, 1942. A; s. CHANDLER 2,298,616

ENVELOPE OR CONTAINER Filed May 16, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet l .B 35 A; f; 1 Q l j l- 1 2 3 i I 5 I 5 2,2 39 1 I l 3 I Z0! w I l 110 @4 INVENTOR.

- JI/Jr/A JT 6944/2412; A6 BY-' )fl ATTORNEY Oct. 13, 1942. A. s. CHANDLER ENVELOPE 0R CONTAINER Filed May 16, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. 171/577 6'. GIM/VDLI/E Patented Oct. 13, 1942 setts e B wn B insrMa h nc C mp n itchbur'g; Mass, a corporation of Massachu- Application May it; 1939, serial 1%. 274,061 1 GIaini. (01. 22945) The invention relates to quickopening or rip bags and envelopes, and has for an object to present a means whereby an ordinary envelope or bag may be converted by the use of theordinary envelope-making machine into a special easyopening bag having incorporated therein means to enable it to be ripped readily along predetermined lines. It is an object also to enable the accomplishment of the foregoing aims while at the same time preserving the usual capacity and other utility of the bag fully, as well as its good appearance both before and after filling.

A further object is to enable the accomplishment of the ends in View economically,- and in such manner that the public will be able to readily understand the manipulation of the package for opening, and to practice it successfully and with ease.

In one aspect it is an important object to enable the production of a fiat bag or envelope in which the opening means may be incorporated in the container at the time of printing or filling, if desired, without requiring the insertion of a pull string or other insert, and without requiring the production of peculiar or intricate folds or the like.

Another important object is to introduce a novel means for producing a shearing member in a container of the general character indicated.

A further aim of the invention is to present an opener means which may be produced in ordinary fiat bags and envelopes by the utilization of ordinary envelope making or bag-filling machines, without requiring the modification of the operative connections and without adding additional mechanism.

In the last named connection, it is an important aim of the invention to enable the formation of a shearing member within an envelope and the like by the use of ordinary envelope forming machines, or envelope printing machines, without requiring the insertion of special elements such as strings, paper strips; or other extra pieces.

At the same time that the foregoing advantages are attained it is an important object'to present an envelope or bag which may be effectively sealed so that it may hold pulverulent materials without sifting thereof from joints or seams, and which will preserve the contents from undesirable contacts and avoid possibility of unsanitary conditions.

I am familiar with prior bag opening means such as shown in the patent to Swift,1,981,440

and other practices in which an opening tongue is weakly attached to the body of the container so that it may be easily separated from the body Without injury to the package or the flap. I have in also considered the patents to Irgang, leszpgsyrim ie, ee'azee na 177,714; Duryee, 423,226; Hahn; 1,870,908; and others.

n The requirements of inserts and applied shear elements of the nature shown in some of these patents involves special manufacturingoperations and special mechanisms for assembly and securernent of insertsoi applied parts, Well as difliculties in use, either before, during, or after package-opening use of the expedients. It is an important attainment of my invention that the opening means may be inc or poratedin e velopes or bags at the time of manufacture either with a special applyingmeans orwith the ordi nary machines used for producing envelopes without change; or with slight modification of -.an y n -elem r a Additional objects, advantages and features of invention reside in the construction, arrangement and combination of parts, and the manner of their formation; assembly and use, as will appear from the following description and accompanying drawings-wherein V Figure 1- is a plan of the blank for a bag corresponding to standard practice. v u

Figure 2 is a back view of the bag of Figure 1, at an intermediate stage of manufacture;

Figure 3 is a back view of the completed bag of Figures -1 2; I a v 2,, Figure 4 is a longitudinal section of the bag of Figure 1 and Fi ure, 3;

' A Figure 5 is a view like Figure 1 showing a further modification of the bag,- with a shear means.

Figure 6 is a back view of a ba g in course of formation from the last named blank. U

Figure 7 is a longitudinal section of the bag formed with the blank of Figure 5.

Figure 8 is a view of the blank of a common bag such as in Figure 1, with a novel shear element application.

Figure 8a shows a further use of the same element. I V w a Figure 9 is a longitudinal section of the last named bag,- completed;

Figure 10 is a section of a further embodiment of the invention; g

Figure 11 is a similar view of another modificat-ion.

There is illustrated in Figures 1 to 4 an envelope l'5, ordinarily called a fiat bag in the bagfilling trade, and constituting a' form familiar heretofore in its principal elements. It is prothe side flaps may conform to conventional practices, although it is preferred to have thebottom edges at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the bag. i

In the making of such bags, after joining the side flaps to form a back wall 29, the bag is substantially a flattened tube open ,at both ends,

Customarily in bags for pulverulent materials,- a crease 30 is now formed across the lower end of this tube in the bag making machine, this crease including both the back wall 29 and the front wall 20, being spaced a short distance inwardly from the lower edges 28 of the side flaps. In the prior practice an application of gum is madeto the tongue 26 in the bag making machine, and possibly also to the wall portion 29 outward of the crease; and the lower part of the tube next the crease 30 and therebeyond, including the walls 20 and 29, together with the tongue 26, is folded inward on the crease 30, forming a back flap 3|, which is pressed flat against the back wall of the bag, the adhesive securing the infolded portions against the back side of the bag. In my invention the same blank and apparatus for performing the last described operations may be used, but I take the precaution to assure the application of gum over the full width of the bag, to the tongue at least, and of sufficiently substantial area longitudinally of the bag for the purpose intended, and particularly stopping at a straight line transversely of the bag toward or at the outer end edge of the tongue 26, neither of which features are essential in the prior practice, as the fold at 30, with just suflicient atttachment of gum to hold the bottom flaps in folded condition, has been all that was required, and

this did not involve necessarily the continuity of the gum throughout the Width of the bag, or a definite extent of 'gummed area longitudinally of the bag. y

In addition, I provide in place of the ordinary mucilage or glue, or other commonly so-called gum, a body of adhesive, 32, that will infuse or penetrate, fasten to and connect as a binder and reinforcement the fibers of the paper, and will then itself so harden as to reinforce the paper, and by its rectilinear boundary form with the paper a sharp-edged, hard, relatively rigid or semi-rigid blade 34. Carpenters glue, shellac, or a mixture of shellac and resin, cellulose solutions and some of the resin glues are suitable. As is well known, these last named materials are of such nature as to set so as to form a hard material of great strength, highly resistant to fracture by handling and of high inherent tensile strength particularly, independently of the strength of the paper or other materials on which they are used. Where the paper is per:- meated by this special material the same qualities are imparted toth e impregnated portions of V the paper, changing its qualities correspondingly. by reason of the body of stronger material within the paper, as well as by'so firmly uniting theinterlaid fibers of the paper as to add likew1se to its rigidity, tensile strength, and resistance to breakage. They may either include water solvent, or other solvent, or may be thermo-plastic, of all of which there are commercial products available. Ordinary practices may still be 5 followed in forming the seam 24 of the bag, us-

ual gum 35 as in Figure 1 being permissible therefor. Under one practice I may also make this specific adhesive at the bottom flap so viscous or thick, and so adjust the adhesive applying device of the machine as to deposit a thick layer of the adhesive, and adjust the sealing means so that the adhesive will not be squeezed to the usual thinness, so that a strong plate body 35 supplemental to the stiffened paper is formed between the plies of paper, as shown in Figure 4, that will assure the function intended, as will be described.

In the use of the first described form of the bag, the stiif blade portion 34 is used as a means to sever the bottom of the bag from the remainder, leaving it open for discharge of the contents. The blade is grasped between the thumb and forefinger of one hand while the body of the ba inwardly thereof is similarly grasped in the other hand, and the first part being moved toward the front of the bag, while the upper part ismoved oppositely from the medial plane of the bag. This effects a clean severance of the bottom portion from the body of the bag, leaving the bottom open for discharge of the contents. The device of Figure 4 may be used similarly.

In order to secure a blade body of more extensive yet rigid nature and strength with a minimum of the described special adhesive, I coat the blank therewith as shown in Figures 5, 6, '7, over 40 chine. This application of adhesive may be effected by usual gumming devices available for applying the gum to the blank as it moves to the former devices in'the envelope making machine. This envelope blank includes elements substan- 47,5j tially the same as in the first described blank (indicated by the same numerals with prim marks applied), except that the bottom tongue 26 is narrowed for a special use, instead of being the full width of the completed bag as first shown,

and the side flaps 2! and 22 corresponding to those of the first form have extensions 31 at their lower 'ends which-'-when the flaps 2| and 22' are folded inward to final positionaline with the tongue 26'. By this application of the stiff- 5 ening adhesive there is formed an area of application which extends inward on the blank a distance beyondth'e bas'es of the tongue 26" and the matching extensions 37 to the transverse straight line 30', and when the side flaps are folded in and pressed to :place, not only are theflaps secured together'at the seam 24, but the whole end portion of the back wall including the 'fiap portions from and outward of the line 30 is se cured against the lower end portion of the front wall and tongue 26. This effects a closing of the 7 outer' face of the back wall 29' of thebag, and

it is'so folded, the ihfolded portions being termed a back flap, and including portions of both front and back walls, as wellas the tongue 26'; The gummed "material; as stated, stops at' the line 7 30' and by the folding described,'the twowalls of the bag are pressed together inwardly of the gum, closing on the interior of the bag from thegum so that in the subsequent use of the bag the contents will not be flavored or otherwise contaminated by the gum. After the folding of the side flaps and their securement against the front wall and likewise securement of the extensions of the front and back walls together, an application of gum is made to the inner side of the tongue 25, which may consist of one small dot or tack of gum, at 38, or may consist of several such dots; or a moderately adhesive material of less strength than the paper, such as is used between the edges of fly paper sheets as commonly manufactured, may be applied more extensively to the infolded end portion of the back flap to secure it detachably to the back wall. After the application of the gum 38 the portion of the bag beyond the crease at 30' is folded in- Wardly and pressed against the back wall 29' to secure it in position. In accordance with early practice in the art, however, the tongue 26' may be lifted and pulled away from the back wall of the bag without tearing the tongue or the back wall, and, due to the hard stiff nature of the iniolded portion, it may be separated sharply from the body of the bag by a manual shearing action, the crease 30' facilitating the severing of the whole end portion of the bag outwardly of the line 30' from the body portion of the ba leaving the bottom open.

To effect this opening of the bag, it may be inverted so that the bottom is presented upwardly, and while the bag is thus held in one hand the tongue 26' is pulled away from the back of the bag and raised into approximately the medial plane of the remainder of the bag. The one or more dots or other attachment of the tongue permit it to be separated from the body of the bag without destroying its continuity and without weakening it for the purposes required. With the thumb and forefinger of the hand holding the body of the bag pressed against opposite sides of the bag just within the line 30, the blade portion is similarly grasped by the thumb and forefinger of the other hand, and the two parts pulled asunder, the blade being so drawn as to perform a, shearing action on the immediately connected or adjacent paper at the fold 30'. It has been found that when ordinary paste is used at 36' to secure the wall portions of the bag together the joined parts are too flexible, and the lack of rigidity and suflicient reinforcement of the joined parts results in an extremely irregular course of severance when used as described, and the result being similar to tearing the uncemented end of an ordinary envelope.

As shown in Figures 8 and 9, the bag is formed with the same shape of tongue and other parts as in Figure 1, the parts bearing the same reference numerals with the addition of the letter 11. But in this instance, in the bag making machine, a thick strip 40 of very viscous gum of the special kind before mentioned adapted to set to form a hard, relatively rigid or semi-rigid plate, bar or blade of very strong, nearly rigid material adapted to function itself as a blade, is applied transversely across the blank for the bag extending at least across the front wall 20a, and, if desired, also across the side flaps, spaced a distance inwardly of the lower end of the blank.

It serves, when the blank is folded, to close the of'the strip 40. It may, however, be appliedin a more fluid state than the material in the blade 40, so as to infuse in and stiffen the paper itself, as Well as secure the parts together.

In the use of the last described form of the bag, the gummed parts outward of the blade and the blade 40 are grasped between the fingers of one hand while the body of the bag above or inwardly of the blade are similarly held by the other hand,- and the two parts moved oppositely from the'medial lane of the bag, resulting in a clean shearing "of' the'two walls of the bag by the blade 40, and leaving the bottom of the bag open. The paper below the blade 40 serves as a grip or handle part, enabling ready manipulation of the blade.

If desired, the bottom of the last mentioned bag may also be folded inwardly on a line above the blade 40 and secured detachably to the back of the bag, as previously described, such fold serving to close on" the upper part of the bag from the blade 40, as shown in Figure 10. The inturned part may be held to the back of the envelope by a tack 38a of adhesive similar to the one 38 of Figure 6, before described.

The bag of Figure 9 is formed by infolding the side flaps Zia and 22a which may have ordinary gum on their lapped edges, and then the tongue 26a is folded inward over the side flaps. This secures the front and back walls of the bag together below the blade 40 so that the bag is completely sealed at the bottom without requiring the tongue 26a, and the latter may be omitted if desired, as in Figure 11. The tongue 26' is included principally to give a good appearance to the bottom edge of the bag, although it adds to the material of the stiffened part also, but may be omitted if desired, as in Figure 11, where the mutually attached lower ends of the side flaps Zlb and 22b register with the end edge of the front wall 20b and so constitute the bottom edge of the envelope.

If necessary, where the heavy (meaning very thick or viscous liquid) blade material is introduced, and application of thinner adhesive solution, adapted to infuse rapidly and deeply into the paper, may be applied to the same areas between Which the thick material is subsequently applied and positioned, so that the unitary relation of paper and blade will be assured. By the proper composition of the adhesive or preliminary treatment of the paper, infusion of the thicker adhesive into the paper may be secured, and still leaving a thick body above the surface to form a blade body continuous with that part including the paper, and comprising material beyond what is required merely for securing the flaps in an envelope.

As shown in Figure 8a, a strip 460 of material similar to the material of the strip 4|] before described, is applied across the blank in the same location as the strip 40, but the blank is otherwise gummed in accordance with standard practice, which includes ordinary gum 350 on the side flap 22c, and ordinary gum 260 on the bottom tongue. This form of the invention may be completed with the same folds as shown in Figures 9 or 10, and utilized in the same ways, as will be understood.

I claim:

An envelope of the character described, comprising a blank sheet of paper or the like of the quality indicated having a body portion adapted to form a front wall and side flaps folded inward to form a back wall, adhesive applied to the laper to unite the blade material of each with that of the other, the lower end portions of the two said walls being folded together in the same direction on a line immediately inward of said blade to constitute with said tongue and extensions a bottom flap, and an adhesive material of less strength than the paper of the bottom flap engaged in mutual attachment with the opposed surfaces of the body of the envelope and said 10 bottom flap.

AUSTIN S. CHANDLER. 

